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Description

Civilian made a name for itself with the Vive Le Roi, as it was the cyclocross machine that brought versatility to new heights. Well, it's back and ready for action in a 'deluxe' form, fully dressed for battle with a sleek parts build and its same tried-and-proven frameset design. Differing from the standard Vive Le Roi, the De Lux model wears a front derailleur and new colorway, but it still possesses the functionality and clean lines that have made this bike a mainstay on cyclocross circuits around the country year after year.

Civilian has been around since 2005, but if you're not familiar with these sleek, well designed bicycles, that wouldn't surprise us. That's because, until now, Civilians were each hand crafted for individual customers by one person. Unsatisfied with what was available from mainstream manufacturers, Tyson Hart set out building frames under the Civilian brand in 2005 after attending UBI, a respected frame building school in Ashland, Oregon. Relying on a combination of extensive personal experience and close work with clients, Hart crafted cyclocross, commuting, and mountain bicycles.

These bicycles quickly garnered industry respect for their clean lines and efficient designs. You'll find that same attention to detail of those rare, custom pieces in the Vive Le Roi -- now packaged for the masses. The Vive Le Roi is constructed with Hart Design 4130 double-butted Cro-Moly for the right blend of toughness, compliance, and low weight. Traditional lines blend the timeless elegance of cyclocross bicycles with modern features like an oversized head tube, sliding dropouts, and disc brakes. The Vive Le Roi's shaped seat and chainstays provide excellent mud clearance and responsive acceleration. The stays are tied together with Tange Design sliding dropouts, and the 7075 T6 aluminum sliding pieces give you the option to go derailleur-less.

At the front end of the Vive Le Roi resides a Civilian Chubby head tube. This oversized junction delivers front end stiffness for negotiating rutted courses with ease, and it'll fight deflection from the powerful front disc brake and stout disc-specific, tapered carbon CX fork -- keeping the Vive Le Roi planted in high-speed turns, and stable under hard braking. Speaking of braking, you won't find any canti mounts on the Vive Le Roi. Now that the UCI has lifted the ban on disc brakes, cantis are destined to become obsolete as they did on mountain bikes.

Equipped with Avid BB7 mechanical calipers, and sporting mud-shedding 160mm front and 140mm rear rotors, the Vive Le Roi's ready to get dirty. Shimano 105 brake levers and shifters connect you to the calipers and provide excellent leverage and modulation. Shifting duties are handled by a CX70 derailleur up front and an Ultegra GS out back. An FSA Gossamer (36/46t) crankset spins on MegaExo outboard bearings for hassle-free seasons of grimy competition. Keeping the cockpit nice and light are Ritchey alloy handlebars, stem, and seatpost. A lightly padded Velo saddle gives the support and comfort needed for a day hopping barriers, and perforated Velo tape ensures you won't lose your grip.

The Vive Le Roi rides on double-walled alloy rims with 32 spokes laced to Formula hubs. They're plenty durable for years of abuse and simple to service if the inevitable fall during competition occurs. Front and rear Kenda Kwicker 700c x 32mm tires have a semi-slick design with low-profile knobs for low-rolling resistance on hard packed courses, and aggressive side knobs for secure handling on muddy courses.

The Civilian Vive Le Roi De Lux comes in 50, 53, 55, 57, 59, and 61cm sizes, and it's available in the color Neo Sweet Pea.

Here's what others have to say...

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Great ride--pretty lame finish quality.

Familiarity:
I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Out of the box this is a great bike. . I twiddled with the fit on some short ride in the neighborhood, just getting to know it. I was excited for the first real ride. The first ride was yesterday and it was 35 degrees out with snow and mud on the gravel roads, and pretty clear paved roads. I loved the ride. The bike felt solid, even in the slushy piles of junk on the gravel roads. Cleaning it up this afternoon I was disappointed to see that one cable had worn through the finish all the way to the steel on the head tube. The head tube badge was also scratched through as well.

The fit is great, I got a 61 and I am 6foot 5. I am dumping the stock wheels for something with a bit more bling. For the price a lot of bike. I wish the finish was better. I also own the Civilian Luddite.